Steve likes to play Warhammer and so humours me because it means he gets more games. Generally I like the story telling aspect, so a short series of linked battles, rather than open-ended campaigns suit us best. These types of thing also usually means painting up some new and unusual models which makes Steve happy.
In the past we've played Sigmar's Blood, The Underway and, most recently a Siege campaign.
We've frequently joked about the old WFB 4th edition scenario packs, and in particular Idol of Gork but never quite taken the plunge. however our recent games of Empire v Orcs led us once more to blow the dust off the old campaign pack and give it some serious thought.
The army lists, as is the way of these things are a bit odd. Made even odder by the fact that they were written 20 years ago for a different version of the rules.
The Empire force came to roughly 1000 points under the current rules, but the Goblin forces led by Oddgit were considerably short of that amount, and as the scenario called for equal forces I added a magic level to Oddgit, beefed up the Squig herd numbers and added a unit of Night Goblin archers (the scenario talks about Night Goblin shooting not being affected by the dark, but the supplied army list includes no NG archers so adding 20 of them seemed like it kind of fitted with the original intentions of the game).
The battle began with a lone unit of Greatswords protecting the hill on which glowered the Idol of Mork, next to the fallen representation of Gork (or is it the other way around?).
Opposite them stretched the goblin battle line
The bloodshed commenced with the Night Goblin horde parting to unleash three whirling fanatics into the Greatswords. They killed four and the doughty empire fighters immediately fled
Oddgit decided to wield some magic, miscast, and lost a level.
In the Empire turn the Greatswords rallied and formed up to face the Squigs whilst the rest of the army advanced.
On the left flank the halfling militia began to take a deadly toll on the Night Goblin Archers.
Delayed by the whirling fanatics blocking their path the Night Goblins were dismayed to find the Empire halbardiers cresting the hill before them.
The squigs, meanwhile, made short work of the Greatswords.
The Empire state troops bravely faced down the Night Goblin horde.
Briefly we discussed the fact that Oddgit could just walk out of his unit and up to the Idol and win, but that didn't seem like much fun so we decided he'd have to stay with his unit.
So Oddgit cast a mighty spell, but miscast in the process. Losing another two levels. But wiping out half the Empire unit.
The Squigs, taking shooting casualties, reformed to attack the halberdiers.
In backfield the Spider Riders managed to get onto the flank of the crossbow unit, broke them and ran them down.
Back on the hill the Squigs crashed home with inevitable results - victory was within Oddgit's grasp...
The brave Empire handgunners managed to charge the Squig herd in the rear. Unnfortunately the gribbly beasts were able to pass the resulting test for losing the combat, and then another leadership test (on Ld6!) to reform.
Inevitably the red horrors ate all the handgunners, leaving Oddgit atop the hill to claim the Crown!
This was good fun. The scenario (great work from the legend that is Jervis Johnson) was cleverly balanced and meant we had to do some hard fighting. the restrictive army lists mean you can't just rely on killer combos and knowing your opponent to get you a win. You have to be lucky as well.
Now for the future battles which require things like 20 Kislev horse archers, a war wagon and a unit of Savage Orc Arrer Boys...
